Betty Barrington leads family to diet makeover

It's a familiar saying. You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. Well, sometimes you can't choose your family eating habits either, as Betty Barrington of Oklahoma can attest.

Betty grew up in a household of unhealthy over-eaters. She and her family weren't taught proper nutrition and the importance of a balanced meal.

As a result, Betty constantly chowed down on fried foods and sweets, and ate out often. Her favorite food was Mexican. It's no surprise, then, the pounds increased as Betty aged.

Before she knew it, Betty weighed 258 pounds. She was depressed and had no self confidence. Then in 1997, she developed fibromyalgia, a disease that causes chronic widespread pain and fatigue.

She suffered from flu-like symptoms and lack of energy. On top of that, she worried about her low blood pressure.

Betty's wake-up call to lose weight came when her obese sister was diagnosed with diabetes. Her doctor warned her that she was on the fast track for a similar fate if she didn't get healthy. Betty tried a number of diets, but nothing took the weight off and kept it off.

In March 2007, Betty tried something different. She joined her local Durant, Okla., L A Weight Loss center. Working closely with her personal counselor, Paula, Betty learned the ins and outs of eating right.

She cut out most of the fried foods, sugary snacks, and red meat from her diet, and replaced them with lean meats, vegetables, fruit, and other healthy alternatives. Betty also kept a journal to track her daily food consumption. This helped her stay focused.

It wasn't long before the weight started to melt away. Betty's lost 88 pounds, and currently weighs 170 pounds!

She attributes much of her success to Paula, who helped her through the tough plateaus and challenges. She's very thankful she stuck with the plan. Since dropping the pounds, Betty feels like a new woman.

Gone are the negative thoughts about herself. She has more energy than ever before, and can do more things, such as bending down to touch her toes and exercise.

Betty never worries about squeezing into a seat, and is comfortable everywhere she goes. Even better, all of her pain is gone. There's nothing holding Betty back these days!

Betty loves her new size, but is determined to lose even more. Each day she's getting closer to her ideal weight of 158 pounds. We know you can do it, Betty!

Betty's success has motivated the rest of her family to get healthy too. Her brother and sister recently joined L A Weight Loss. It looks like Betty is leading the way for a complete family diet makeover. Great job, Betty!

Here's Betty before she started the L A Weight Loss program at 258 pounds:



And here she is looking better than ever at 170 pounds:



FAST FACTS

Name: Betty Barrington
Hometown: Durant, Okla.
Age: 58
Height: 5'7"

Starting weight: 258 pounds
Goal weight: 158 pounds
Current weight: 170 pounds
Program start date: March 2007

Favorite food: Salad with grilled chicken.

Biggest temptation: Mexican food.

Biggest motivator: Watching the numbers on the scale drop.

Biggest obstacle: Dealing with chronic low blood pressure while trying to eat healthier.

Old eating philosophy: Eating anything she wanted, anytime she wanted.

New eating philosophy: Eating healthy foods in moderation.

Best thing about losing weight: Feeling in complete control, and shopping for smaller clothes.

Best weight loss secret learned: It's easier to control your diet when you cook at home.